Containment cellar

Abstract

A containment cellar collects petroleum products leaked in a vicinity of a conductor pipe at an oil drilling site. The containment cellar has a body, a pipe, and a pumping orifice. The body has bottom and side surfaces to define an interior chamber to surround a length of the conductor pipe. The bottom surface includes an aperture to receive the conductor pipe. The surfaces are composed of materials substantially impermeable to the petroleum products. The side surface has sufficient strength to maintain integrity of the interior chamber when the containment cellar is disposed at least partially beneath a surface of the earth. The pipe extends through the interior chamber. The pumping orifice is coupled with the pipe and adapted for coupling with a pump to extract the leaked petroleum products from the interior chamber.

What is claimed: 
     
       1. A system, comprising: a conductor pipe installed near a surface of the earth at an oil drilling site for use in extracting petroleum products from beneath the surface of the earth; and a containment cellar for collecting petroleum products leaked in a vicinity of the conductor pipe, the containment cellar comprising:
 a body comprising a bottom surface, a plurality of wells formed within the bottom surface, an aperture through the bottom surface to receive the conductor pipe, and a side surface to define an interior chamber to surround the conductor pipe, wherein:
 each well is defined by a lower wall disposed below the bottom surface and at least one side wall connecting the lower wall to the bottom surface; 
 the bottom and side surfaces are composed of materials substantially impermeable to the petroleum products; and 
 the side surface is composed of a material having sufficient strength to maintain integrity of the interior chamber when the containment cellar is disposed at least partially beneath the surface of the earth; 
 
 a plurality of petroleum product removal pipes, wherein each pipe extends from a respective one of the plurality of wells through the interior chamber to a top of the interior chamber and is adapted for coupling with a pump to extract the leaked petroleum products from the respective well and out of the interior chamber; and 
 a plurality of mounting brackets, wherein each mounting bracket secures a respective one of the plurality of petroleum product removal pipes to the body. 
 
     
     
       2. The system recited in  claim 1 , wherein the containment cellar further comprises a grating disposed at the top of the interior chamber opposite the bottom surface. 
     
     
       3. The system recited in  claim 1 , wherein the containment cellar further comprises a reinforcing member disposed within the interior chamber. 
     
     
       4. The system recited in  claim 1  wherein the bottom and side surfaces are made of metal. 
     
     
       5. The system recited in  claim 1  wherein the bottom and side surfaces are made of a hard plastic. 
     
     
       6. The system recited in  claim 1  wherein the side surface comprises a plurality of side surfaces joined such that the interior chamber has a polygonal cross section. 
     
     
       7. The system recited in  claim 1  wherein the bottom surface comprises a plurality of pieces, wherein the pieces are joined with an material substantially impermeable to the petroleum products between the pieces. 
     
     
       8. The system recited in  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wells includes first and second wells, and wherein the lower wall of the first well is spaced from the lower wall of the second well. 
     
     
       9. A method for collecting petroleum products leaked in a vicinity of a conductor pipe at an oil drilling site, the method comprising:
 receiving a conductor pipe through an aperture in a bottom surface of a containment cellar so that an interior chamber of the containment cellar surrounds the conductor pipe, wherein the interior chamber of the containment cellar is defined by the bottom surface and a side surface, wherein the bottom and side surface are composed of materials that are substantially impermeable to petroleum products, and wherein the conductor pipe is installed near a surface of the earth at an oil drilling site for use in extracting petroleum products from beneath the surface of the earth; 
 disposing the containment cellar at least partially beneath a surface of the earth, wherein the side surface is composed of a material having sufficient strength to provide structural support to resist collapse of the earth into the interior chamber; 
 collecting petroleum products from the conductor pipe in the interior chamber within a plurality of wells formed within the bottom surface, wherein each well is defined by a lower wall disposed below the bottom surface and at least one side wall connecting the lower wall to the bottom surface; and 
 pumping the collected petroleum products from the interior chamber, wherein the pumping step includes:
 coupling a pump to a pipe that extends from one of the plurality of wells through the interior chamber to a top of the interior chamber; and 
 operating the pump to pump the collected petroleum products from the one of the plurality of wells through the pipe and remove the collected petroleum products from the interior chamber of the containment cellar. 
 
 
     
     
       10. The method recited in  claim 9  wherein the containment cellar further comprises a grating disposed at the top of the interior chamber opposite the bottom surface. 
     
     
       11. The method recited in  claim 9  wherein the bottom and side surfaces are made of metal. 
     
     
       12. The method recited in  claim 9  wherein the bottom and side surfaces are made of a hard plastic. 
     
     
       13. The method recited in  claim 9 , wherein the pumping step further includes:
 coupling the pump to another pipe that extends from another of the plurality of wells through the interior chamber to a top of the interior chamber; and 
 operating the pump to pump the collected petroleum products from the other of the plurality of wells through the other pipe and remove the collected petroleum products from the interior chamber of the containment cellar.